


The Cheap Date; A Garak/Bashir Mystery

by LaDemonessa



Series: The Garak/Bashir Mysteries [1]
Category: Garak/Bashir - Fandom, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: M/M, The Garak/Bashir Mysteries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-12
Updated: 2014-07-12
Packaged: 2018-02-08 11:39:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 12,457
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1939635
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LaDemonessa/pseuds/LaDemonessa
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>First in the Garak/Bashir Mysteries</p><p>There is an outbreak of drug overdoses by a new designer drug called Orange D aboard the station. Garak and Bashir team up to investigate while their friendship begins to evolve into something much closer,</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. First Date: A Favor

The Cheap Date  
A Garak/Bashir Mystery

By JA Ingram

 

\---  
First Date: A Favor  
\---

Julian had his feet propped up and had just started getting comfortable when the chime to his quarters chirped. He sighed and tried to keep the annoyance out of his face as he rose to answer. It had been a bad day, filled with rude, demanding patients and he had just wanted to relax and get himself back into shape.

Why do people keep coming to me, he thought as he approached the door, it's not like he was the only Doctor on board. Dr. Okuna was supposed to be on night shift, "Enter."

Standing before him was Garak, with a slightly uneasy expression on his face, "Good evening, Doctor. I hope I'm not disturbing you?"

"Not...really." For a moment, Julian felt little caught off guard. The tailor had never come to the Doctor's quarters before, well, not to his door anyway. The last time he'd been in these quarters, Garak been standing over Julian's bed in the middle of the night to take him to an orphanage on Bajor. Actually, even knowing of Garak's odd habit of showing up in the middle of the night unawares, he almost found it more disturbing to see Garak just standing in the doorway like a normal person, "Are you ill or something, Garak?"

"No, not at all," a shadow of discomfort crossed Garak's features and he stepped back. "I'm sorry, I apologize for coming unannounced. I won't keep you any longer. Have a good-"

"Wait," Julian stopped him, "Isn't there something you needed?"

The tailor paused, then shrugged, "The replicator unit in my quarters isn't working and I was wondering if I could impose upon you to allow me to use yours, if it wouldn't be too much trouble?" Garak asked apologetically.

"No, no trouble at all," Julian stepped back from the entrance and gestured for Garak to enter. "Please, come in."

"I normally wouldn't ask, but there are several Vedeks and Bajoran leaders touring the station for the conference this week and I didn't want to cause any...well, you understand," Garak shrugged, politely looking around Julian's quarters as he explained, "Normally, my presence wouldn't be a disturbance, but these men and women don't live here and might object to sitting next to a Cardassian in a restaurant for...obvious reasons." He took a breath and walked toward Julian's replicator in the kitchenette. "There's something wrong with the power supply to my replicator unit and Chief O'Brien assured me that he'd look at it in the morning. You're one of the few people I know who wouldn't mind me using yours until mine is repaired."

"Well, I was getting a bit hungry myself, actually," Julian gave him a friendly smile.

"I had only intended to replicate the food and go, Doctor," Garak said. "If you have plans, I don't want to keep you."

"No, not at all, I was planning on dining in myself. Please, feel free to join me," Julian invited.

"Thank you," Garak bowed his head slightly in acceptance. He turned to the replicator, "Oh good, your unit has quite an extensive menu. Let's see, Roast Tarkelian fowl in wine sauce with new potatoes and carrots and a large glass of iced tea, lightly sweetened."

"That does sound good," Julian said. "Today was so hectic I barely had time to breathe much less eat today." He gestured toward the replicator, "Would you mind?"

"Not at all." Garak ordered a second plate and Julian gestured for him to join him at his small table. "This does smell good, doesn't it?"

"Very, I'm famished," Julian dropped his napkin into his lap and the two fell silent as they ate. At first, neither man spoke because hunger occupied their attention but after a few moments, Julian began to wonder if he should begin some sort of discussion. Occasionally, the two men shared lunches at the replimat, talking about literature and such, but in this unusual circumstance he had no clue what he should talk about. "Um, so how was work today?" Julian winced inwardly. He might as well have asked how the weather was on the Promenade. Coming up with small talk always made him feel awkward.

"Honestly? It was terrible," Garak dabbed at the corners of his mouth with his napkin then paused to sip his drink. "It seemed like everyone who entered the shop today was in a foul mood. One customer was so insulted that I didn't have her dress size already in stock, that I thought I'd have to call security."

Well, apparently Garak approved of the topic after all. "I know what you mean," Julian said ruefully. "I had to deal with a bunch of idiots who decided to try mountain climbing in one of the holosuites with the safety protocols turned down. They acted as though it was my fault that they got hurt and when I pointed out that the safeties are there to protect them, they practically blistered my ears with foul language and insults. I really hate tourists."

"A necessary evil in a Space Station, I'm afraid," Garak grinned. "At least you didn't have a 480lb, 7'8" Balgorath threaten to disembowel you because you implied she wasn't petite enough to fit in something off the rack."

"Wow, I never realized being a tailor was so hazardous to one's health," Julian chuckled, "Now I have this picture in my head of you being sat on a big angry woman with a boar's head and large tusks wearing a too-tight ball gown."

"You're not too far off the mark actually. I'll admit, being a tailor does have an element of danger at times, my dear Doctor," Garak smiled and ate some of his vegetables before launching into another hilarious tale of his near death experiences within the retail industry.

After dinner, Julian and Garak replicated some dessert and sat on the couch with their coffee and continued their discussion. The topics ranged from station gossip to art and philosophy. It was like one of their lunches, only the topics were more free flowing and less rushed. He was actually enjoying himself and beginning to really get into the flow of things when he realized they had lost track of time. "It can't be after 12 o'clock, can it?" He looked up at the chronometer on the wall with surprise.

Garak rose from the couch and stifled a yawn, "It is getting late, excuse me, I'm afraid I really must be going. This day is finally beginning to catch up with me. However, I do want to thank you for your hospitality and your company. It has been a pleasure, Doctor."

"Julian."

"Excuse me?" Garak asked.

"My name. Call me Julian." A reluctant look crossed the older man's face and Julian hastened to explain, "Where I'm from when two people spend an evening meal together and consider themselves to be friends, we call each other by our given names."

"I see." Garak gave a slow nod, "Cardassians are a very formal people, Doctor. When we are in the presence of someone we admire or who holds a respected position, such as yourself," he gestured politely toward the younger man, "we tend to use their titles instead."

"Well, perhaps you'd consider a compromise." Julian smiled, "When we run into each other during the day or when I'm on duty, we'll use our usual greeting for one another. When we meet for an evening meal or in private, you can call me Julian, all right?"

"Very well," Garak nodded. "Julian, then."

"And your given name is Elim? I'm pronouncing it correctly, yes?" Julian asked.

"Uh, yes you are." Garak looked a little taken aback.

"Do you...not want me to use your given name?" Julian inquired, gauging the man's reaction.

"Actually, I'd prefer you didn't. No offence, Doctor," he added quickly, "it's just that not many people have ever called me that. I confess, I never liked my name, even as a child. 'Elim' never suited me much which is why I always went by simply Garak, then as I grew older, I merely got used to not hearing it spoken aloud."

"Why not? It seems like a perfectly good name," Julian frowned. "Very dignified, actually."

"Too dignified in many ways, it always seemed to be the name of an old man, or at least I always thought so." Garak leaned a little closer as if sharing a confidence, "Although I do strive to age gracefully, I'm not yet ready to give up all of the follies of my youth."

"I understand, perfectly. Plain, simple Garak it is, then," Julian teased, mocking Garak a little. The first time Julian and Garak had met, those were the very words the Cardassian used to introduce himself.

The accompanying smile on the Cardassian's face indicated he also understood the reference.

"You have it exactly, my dear doc-excuse me, Julian," he corrected himself. "Are there any other customs I might share with you instead, then?"

"A handshake," Julian offered the Cardassian his outstretched hand.

"Very well, Julian. Thank you," Garak took Julian's hand in his, gratefully.

It was supposed to be a simple handshake, but just as their hands clasped, Julian felt as though something passed between them like a shock of electricity or the pull of a magnet. Despite the confidence of his grip, the look on the other man's face implied Garak also seemed a bit out of sorts. Their hands remained touching for just a second or two longer than was necessary, then Garak released his hand and headed out the door, "Goodnight, Garak," Julian called out.

Garak gave him the briefest of smiles and said a simple, "Goodnight, Doctor," and left.

Julian stared after the door for a few moments trying to decide what he was feeling right now. Perhaps it's just fatigue coupled with stress, he decided and concentrated on trying to clear his head before moving toward the bedroom.


	2. Second Date: The Emergency

\---  
Second Date: The Emergency  
\---

It had been several days since their evening meal, and now he and Garak were sitting together at the replimat. They kept to their usual safe topics, literature and politics, and Garak referred to Julian as 'Doctor', while Julian made sure to keep his hands to himself. That handshake bothered him for some reason he couldn't place and he was just happy to be back to their normal routine.

Just sitting down with their trays, Garak and he were already in a lively debate about the use of alliteration in one of the books they were both reading, when Julian looked over to see Cherinala, one of Quark's Dabo girls, rubbing her temples as she tried to focus on her soup. "Excuse me for a moment, Garak," Julian interrupted and turn in his seat toward the girl. "Are you all right?"

She blinked slowly and squinted at him blearily, "I...I don't know," her hands were shaking slightly and her head dipped alarmingly toward the table.

Julian caught her shoulders just before she fell face first into her lunch, knocking over his chair in the process, the accompanying clatter attracting the curious gazes of several of the Replimat's occupants. "Okay, we're going to the infirmary now, sweetheart. Garak? Can you help me give this young lady a hand?"

"Yes, of course," the Cardassian arose from his seat and helped Julian bring the young woman to her feet.

"Bashir to the infirmary." Julian tapped his comm badge as he draped one of the girl's arms over his shoulder while Garak did the same. Cherinala was tall and Garak was just a few inches shorter than Julian, but they balanced her between them as best they could and made their way out of the Replimat, toward the Promenade.

//Yes, Doctor?//

"I'm bringing someone to the Infirmary. She's had a dizzy spell. I need you to go ahead and prepare some hyposprays. We'll be there momentarily," Julian's voice was cool and confident as the they made their way there as quickly and safely as they could.

//Do you need me to send a stretcher, Doctor?// Nurse Gianella asked.

"No, Mr. Garak and I have it in hand, I think," Julian answered. "Well now, what's got you feeling so bad?" He asked the young Dabo girl cheerfully.

"I feel strange..my head...my stomach...hurts," she said then collapsed, causing Julian and Garak to have to keep their balance as she lost consciousness.

"I can carry her," Garak said, lifting her into his arms as they hurried down the corridor.

"We're almost there," Julian said, jogging beside Garak and feeling the woman's pulse. "Her heart rate is quite elevated." His eyebrows knitted together in concern.

"Drugs?" It was the first thing that popped into Garak's mind. Quark, for all his faults, kept a fairly respectable bar, but recreational drug use still happened, especially among the youth set and pleasure workers. Late nights, high energy levels, and easy money were always contributing factors.

"I'm not going to speculate until I use a medical scanner on her, but it's a possibility." The Doctor struggled to fight the sudden burst of annoyance that bubbled up within him. In the last three weeks, he had treated eight near overdoses and a host of side effects from illicit drug use. It was a waste of life, and he found the risks these otherwise healthy people were taking abhorrent. The chaos and disorder these people made of their lives--how they could choose to live like this was something he couldn't even begin to fathom.

The reached the Infirmary and Garak laid her on the biobed Julian indicated. The Doctor took the medical tricorder from Nurse Gianella and began to scan her. "Hypospray, please, 2 ccs of tetrahydradone."

"Orange D?" The nurse asked, looking at the girl with sad eyes.

"Starting to look that way," Julian said grimly.

"So young..." the nurse said sadly. She and Garak watched Julian as he administered the hypospray and waited for it to take effect.

"Alright then, sweetheart, how are you feeling now?" Julian asked her softly as he lifted her eyelid and examined her pupils.

"Wha-what happened?" the girl asked, obviously still disoriented.

"You tell me,"Julian said. "Do you remember taking anything?"

"No." Cherinala answered weakly.

"You have a drug called Orange D in your system, Cherinala," Julian told her. "I need to know where you got it from."

"No," she looked at him with a confused expression. "I don't use drugs, I swear. The only thing I had today was some juice before I went on my lunch break."

"Was anyone standing near you at the bar? Did you pour the drink yourself?" Garak asked, stepping toward the bed.

"Rom was bartending, but I don't know how this happened. It's been a busy morning," She winced and held her stomach. "I think I'm going to vomit," she said weakly.

The nurse handed her a kidney shaped tray and Julian administered another hypospray, "That's the medicine working. Unfortunately, it causes nausea so I've given you something to help you through it. Are you absolutely sure you didn't take it yourself?" Julian asked.

"I don't do drugs," she insisted. "Some of the girls probably do, but I have a little sister to support. I swear, Dr. Bashir, honest."

"Okay, Cherinala, I believe you, but either way I have to get a drug panel and report this to Constable Odo. Nurse Gianella will monitor you while you get some sleep, okay?" He gave her a kindly smile and patted her shoulder.

"I can't!" She tried to get up but the nurse and Julian gently restrained her. "Quark will dock me and I can't afford it!"

"Don't worry about Quark," Julian said. "I have a feeling he'll have other things to worry about this afternoon. Rest." He nodded to the nurse and she put a blanket over the young woman.

Julian tapped his comm badge, "Bashir to Odo."

//Yes, Doctor?//

"We have had another near overdose, can you meet me at the Infirmary?"

//I'll be right there.// The changeling's gravelly voice seemed to echo the same emotion Julian, himself, was feeling. This drug problem aboard DS9 was beginning to escalate and it was a complication he really didn't need right now.

Julian turned to Garak and sighed, "Your lunch hour is nearly up. I apologize for taking up your time like this."

"It couldn't have been helped, Doctor. Besides," he glanced at the girl, "I enjoyed watching how you handled the situation. It was...illuminating."

"How so?" Julian asked.

"You were surprisingly patient despite your annoyance at the drug findings, and you didn't immediately jump to the conclusion that the girl had taken the drugs herself. Most would have, especially given her line of work." Garak answered.

"Quark runs a pretty tight ship when it comes to his Dabo tables and drug addicts can't count cards and be trusted to handle money," Julian answered. "Even if she was a habitual user, it wouldn't have affected the level of care I offered her. She's still a person in need of my help."

"So if she is telling the truth, then someone in Quark's bar is slipping drugs into the drinks of young girls." Garak looked at the Doctor with a thoughtful expression. "The constable won't be overly happy about that."

"I imagine not," Julian agreed.

At that moment the constable appeared in the doorway. Julian broke off from Garak to speak to Odo for a moment. Garak watched the interaction between the two. He didn't bother listening to what was being said, as much as he was just interested in watching the younger man's facial expressions and demeanor. For a man barely into his thirties, Julian Bashir was a very skilled and compassionate Doctor. The Cardassian carefully studied Julian as he talked to the constable in low, serious tones, the harsh lights in the sickbay illuminating his face. He was fine-boned, but not delicate, Garak decided. He wasn't feminine in either his looks or his mannerisms, quite the opposite, but he possessed a delicate touch and a natural grace which the older man found very attractive.

He'd been somewhat infatuated by the young physician for some time but had never acted upon his feelings. Garak had enjoyed many lovers, most agents who worked undercover needed to be flexible in their sexuality because pillow talk often worked better than torture when trying to pry secrets from a target. However, he'd never allowed anyone close enough to him to actually feel anything. Sex was a means to an end in his world and he'd grown to think of the act in cynical terms. He hadn't taken a lover in almost two years, not since he'd been with a silk merchant he'd met on the station and that had merely been something to ease his tension. When he first met Julian Bashir, he considered seducing him. He was attractive and young, but as he got to know Julian, he'd changed his mind.

There were some people Garak just didn't sleep with, and Julian was one of them. Those were the kind of individuals who made him actually feel something, and in his world, that was a dangerous thing. Unchecked emotion made you vulnerable, and besides, Julian Bashir was a heterosexual man. He'd broken up with Leeta just a few months previously, and had never shown any interest in anything other than polite conversation. Still, every once in awhile, he'd look at Garak in a way that made the Cardassian suspect Julian had some attraction toward him as well. The other night had been very pleasant, if awkward at first, and watching the compassion and maturity the young physician had shown toward his patient filled Garak with some unknown emotion. He admired Bashir greatly, perhaps that was all it was, but as time passed Garak grew tired of his exile, and the thought of taking a companion was beginning to appeal to him. Perhaps it was old age, he thought dryly. His cold bed and the Cardassian instinct to seek out companionship was overriding his common sense. It would pass, as long as he kept his head and didn't take Julian Bashir's possible interest in him seriously.

Odo left the Doctor to go talk with the girl and Julian approached Garak with a chagrined expression, "Again, I apologize. We hardly ate a bite at lunch. I know you only have a few minutes left. If you'd like, you can come with me to my office. I have a small replicator in there, it's just programmed for snacks and sandwiches for when I have to eat on the go, but it's better than nothing. I know you don't have one in your shop and the lines in the replimat are ridiculous this time of day."

"If you wouldn't mind the company," Garak said accepting. After all, he thought, he was hungry and the Doctor had a point about the long lines. He'd never gotten around to installing a food replicator in his shop. He disliked having food around the fine cloth and most people shopped with him because he never used replicated materials in his garments. The food replicator might give them the wrong impression and his shop was far too small to bother with such a thing when there were restaurants all around them.

They settled in Julian's small office, Julian behind the desk which was crowded with various PADDs and Garak in a comfortable arm chair across from him. The small replicator was in the wall near the desk, placed there for convenience, Garak imagined. Being a Doctor aboard a space station could be hectic and the physicians who served here often had to eat at least some of their meals at their desks. Julian paused before ordering their lunch, "Any preferences? Chicken salad, roast beef, or ham and cheese, perhaps?"

"Nothing with pickled vegetables or mayonnaise. I never have gotten used to those particular Terran delicacies." Garak made a slight face to emphasize his distaste of the two condiments.

"Really? I love kosher pickles, myself," Julian shrugged. He then addressed the replicator, "Two sandwiches with roast beef, Swiss cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, and spicy brown mustard on toasted wheat bread. Two servings of cottage cheese and fruit, and two glasses of vegetable juice, cold, with a lemon wedge. Sound good?" He asked Garak as the items materialized on the small replicator pad.

"Very healthy," Garak approved.

Julian handed his companion a plate and began to eat using the desk as a table, "Well, when you have to catch your meals on the fly, you do your best to avoid junk."

They ate for a few minutes in silence and as Garak bit into his sandwich, his eyebrows lifted in surprise, "This is actually quite good."

"They don't have sandwiches on Cardassia?" Julian asked around a mouthful of food.

Garak gave him a withering look, "Putting meat between slices of bread is hardly a revolutionary concept, my dear Doctor. I just meant that I normally don't eat this sort of thing. It really, what's the term you'd use on your world? Hits the spot." He smiled and took another bite.

"I'll admit I prefer a hot meal with lots of vegetables, but a sandwich can be a man's best friend in a pinch. The key is to avoid potato crisps or greasy snacks. This way all the food groups are represented and you get plenty of healthy fiber from the wheat bread."

"Spoken like a true health care provider," Garak added.

"It's one of the pitfalls of the job," Julian shrugged. "After you've seen what happens when people abuse their bodies with junk and empty calories, you start watching what you eat."

"Well, thank you, Doctor. I appreciate your diligence in protecting me and my waistline," Garak joked as he dug his spoon into the cottage cheese and ate.

"Julian," the Doctor said.

"Excuse me?" Garak asked, wiping the corners of his mouth.

"My name. You called me Doctor again. We agreed we'd be less formal when we're alone," Julian said, twisting a bit of lemon into his juice and taking a sip.

"As I recall we agreed to do so only when we were at an evening meal and in private quarters. This," he gestured around them, "is your office."

"My private office, and I won't have time for an evening meal, so this is it," Julian said.

"I'm not sure-" Garak began.

"C'mon Garak," Julian snorted, "It's just a name, and it would make me happy."

"Why?" Garak asked, ignoring his sandwich and looking at his companion curiously.

Good question, he thought to himself before throwing caution to the wind. "It just would," Julian shrugged. "You're my friend and friends use one another's names."

"Very well...Julian," Garak sipped his juice, then looked up at the chronometer. "I have a fitting in another 15 minutes or so. I suppose we'd best finish eating and hurry about our day."

Julian had finished wolfing down half his sandwich and was working on the cottage cheese, "I'm really sick of this drug situation developing on board. It's just a matter of time before it gets out of control. As it is now, Odo and his security team haven't been able to find out how the drugs are getting on the station. They're checking every ship as it comes in, but no luck. I just don't understand how could anyone justify selling dangerous and illegal drugs for profit, no matter what the short-term rewards might be?"

"Whenever and where ever you have groups of people under stress, you're going to find an active drug trade." Garak sighed. "As a Doctor, you know people self-medicate to relieve pain and stress. We saw a lot of it among the ground troops on Cardassia. As you know, I, myself, had an addiction to the implant I'd received years previously. That sort of dependence just creeps up on you and before you know it, you're using just to feel normal."

"Of course I understand the psychology," Julian said, picking at his fruit, "I just don't understand why a person would put an unknown and dangerous substance into their bodies and risk addiction or death for a few minutes of pleasure; especially when medical and psychological counseling is free and available on board. It boggles the mind, frankly."

"We do a lot of things that are dangerous on a daily basis, merely because they feel good," Garak countered. "Not all of us do it with narcotics, but we still justify them like any other addict until we stop seeing the risks and merely look at the short term rewards."

"So, you're using that to justify unregulated drug use? Should we also seek the legalization and trade of narcotics like Orange D on board just because people will use it whether it's legal or not?" Julian asked with a dark scowl.

"No, Julian," Garak said, taking a sip of his juice, "Not at all. I'm saying that people use drugs to numb their emotions, just like sex is sometimes a substitute for intimacy. Sex is a potentially dangerous act, but people hop from one bed to another, unprotected because they figure that in this age most sexually transmitted diseases can be cured with a hypospray. They don't take into consideration that those illnesses can only be cured if they're reported and some, like Deltan Fever, can't be cured at all."

"You'd have a lot better chance of overdosing from Orange than catching Deltan Fever," Julian replied, "I may treat 50 cases of sexually transmitted disease a year, all so far cured with a hypo and a lecture on safe sex, but I've treated nine overdoses in little over a month, three of them this week alone including that girl in there. Eventually, they're going to start dying and I won't be able to stop it. Orange D--" Julian made a disgusted noise in his throat as he said the name. "O.D.-I don't know if it's a general warning or a drug pusher's idea of a sick joke calling it that!"

"You said that Constable Odo is searching all incoming shipments and docking stations?" Garak asked thoughtfully.

"Yes, but it's a big station," Julian took another bite of cottage cheese then continued. "Even with his entire security force and some of the Starfleet marines searching, you and I both know that as long as there is a profit to be made, the drugs will keep coming."

Garak stared at his hands thoughtfully, "May I have one last word with the girl before I go-if it wouldn't impede her recovery, of course?"

"Certainly," Julian's eyebrows quirked up in surprise, "but Odo already questioned her. I'm sure if there were anything to be learned about how she ingested the drug, Odo is already checking on it."

"One of the requirements for being a great interrogator or a great tailor is to listen to what is being said without injecting your own preconceived ideas into the process," Garak explained with a slight smile. "Odo has his own agenda: stopping the drug trade, which is good, but it may blind him to other possibilities. You want to save your patients, so your questions have to do with the 'what' and 'how', Odo wants to know 'who' and 'where'--I think I'd like to know the answer to 'when'. When did she become exposed to Orange D?"

"We already know that," Julian leaned back in his chair and drank the last of his juice. "She said she drank some juice at the bar. Obviously, someone slipped it in her drink then."

"How is Orange D usually taken, Doctor?" Garak grimaced apologetically at his companions disapproving frown. "I'm sorry, how is it usually administered, Julian?"

"It's sniffed or smoked," Julian explained. "It usually isn't ingested orally, but whoever put it in her drink probably didn't know that."

"Unlikely," Garak disagreed, "if someone put something in her drink, it was intentional and it was done by someone with an agenda who was familiar with the drug. She's a pretty girl and doesn't seem to live a lifestyle which would make her the target of someone who would kill her intentionally. She was on her way to lunch so nothing would be gained by having her swoon at a Dabo table and there are too many other players and witnesses for someone to slip a few extra chips into their pockets while she was under the influence anyway. Chances are, with revenge and greed not the motivation for this crime, the only reason a girl like that would be given a drugged drink would be if her assailant wanted sex. We both know Rom is the last person who would ever do something like that and he's the only person to have contact with the glass other than the girl. No," Garak shook his head, "something is missing."

Julian gathered their plates off the desk and put them back on the replicator pad for recycling then rose to his feet, "Well, let's go ask then," the Doctor looked up at Garak for a moment and grinned. "First a replicated dinner at home, now a replicated lunch at my desk-Garak, you're turning into a very cheap date."

"Excuse me?" Garak asked, a little taken aback. "What exactly is 'a cheap date'?"

"It's just something we say on Earth," Julian shrugged. "It means that you're happy with a simple and inexpensive meal and that you don't have to be wined and dined to enjoy my company, that's all."

"I see," Garak responded slowly, "well, I suppose that means that you also consider this to be a date, albeit a 'cheap' one, then?"

"Well..." the Doctor suddenly appeared to be at a loss for words. His mouth hung open slightly as if he were trying to think of some response, any response to Garak's question.

"I'm flattered, Julian," Garak rose from his seat and grinned mischievously. "However, if this is your idea of seduction, next time let's try for something a little less on the cheap. You are, after all, an up and coming Doctor, and I wouldn't want to compromise my virtue for a mere sandwich and a glass of juice. I do have my standards, after all."

"You are an terrible person, Garak," Julian said, rolling his eyes.

"I can see why you're still single if that's how you talk to all of your dates, my dear Julian," Garak chuckled. "Now, let's go see about this mystery we have before us."

"Agreed," Julian held out his hand and Garak accepted it. Something seemed to pass between them just as their fingers touched and both men's breath stilled.

Julian stepped closer to Garak and looked into his eyes. Garak's face was soft and open, his eyes searching as if to try to fathom what the younger man was thinking. Julian felt a sudden surge of energy fill his body and, it was then that he knew that he, not Garak, was now in control of what was happening between them. The Doctor had felt some attraction toward Garak in the past, but had never acted on it because Garak had always seemed so unreachable, so unobtainable. He had noted on more than one occasion in his Personal Logs that the Cardassian was like smoke, thick and dark, but when you tried to reach for it, insubstantial. He caressed the back of Garak's hand with his thumb experimentally and watched as the other man's expression changed from surprise to something deeper, warmer.

Julian stepped forward then dipped his head, his mouth just inches from the unmoving Cardassian's. He closed his eyes, stepped back, then shook his head as if to regain his senses, "I'm sorry," he backed off and let go of his companion's hand.

"What?" Garak asked weakly, clearly affected by the near kiss.

The heat within Julian's eyes grew. He clenched his hands and took a breath, allowing the tailor to see for himself that he was very interested, but reluctant to move upon the attraction too quickly. "It's not time, not yet. I just...I wanted to kiss you and it's too soon for that."

Garak licked his dry lips and struggled to regain his composure. He wasn't used to not being in control and this young man had him feeling like an adolescent virgin. It was highly disconcerting. "Oh. I...see. I-"

Julian stepped forward again and placed a warm hand on Garak's cheek. Their gazes locked, "Just so you know, I am going to kiss you eventually," Julian said bluntly, "where and when the time is right."

Great Hebetian Gods, Garak's brain seemed to melt in his skull, when did Julian Bashir get the upper hand? Panic and desire tore at Garak for a moment. On one hand he wanted to run as far and fast as he could. This man had torn down his defenses utterly and was succeeding in manipulating him in a way no other person ever had. On the other hand, the only thing he wanted at that moment was to feel Julian's lips on his, the tall human pressed against him, hard and ready. The Doctor was stating very clearly what his intentions toward Garak were, and in all the years the Cardassian had known Julian Bashir, he'd always assumed that if they ever did become lovers, it was Garak who would do the seducing. Now, he realized, that would not be the case.

"We should go talk to Cherinala," Julian said softly, caressing Garak's cheek once more before dropping his hand. Julian moved toward the door and gestured for Garak to follow. "Are you coming?"

Garak's mind drew a blank, "What?"

"To talk to Cherinala, the Dabo girl?" Julian smiled slightly, somewhat amused by the affect his touch had on the usually composed tailor. "You said you had questions to ask her before you went back to the shop."

"Questions?" Garak asked dumbly, "Yes. Yes! Of course," Julian stepped aside to allow Garak to exit first and the tailor began to feel a bit annoyed. His friend was enjoying having the upper hand far more than he should. This whole situation was a bit unsettling, really. He was far too old for this sort of thing.

Garak tried to ignore the strange feelings the Doctor had conjured in him from their unexpected and unsettling moment together and instead focused his attention on the girl lying on the biobed. As he approached her, he waited for Julian to awaken her gently, "Cherinala?" Julian's voice was soft as to not startle her. "We need to ask you a few questions."

She opened her eyes slowly and looked from one man to the other, "I must have nodded off."

"You were supposed to," Julian assured her. "Your body wasn't made to be subjected to that kind of sudden stress. You're just lucky Mr. Garak and I were there to get you to the infirmary so quickly."

"My sister?" Cherinala tried to sit up and Julian stopped her, easing her back down gently.

The nurse got up from her desk across the room and approached them, "It's okay, dear. After the constable took your statement he had Quark let Leeta off to watch her. She's staying in her quarters until you feel better."

"Leeta will take good care of her," Julian said with a nod. "She's a good friend of mine and very responsible with children as far as I know."

"Leeta's nice," Cherinala agreed, "She shares her tips with me sometimes. I need to get out of here soon, though. Adona is only five, she'll be worried if I'm not there to watch her after school and I can't make money if I don't go back to work."

"I think after you leave here you'll find that Quark has undoubtedly been encouraged by the constable to offer you some sort of sick leave," Garak said dryly.

"You need to rest," Julian added. "Even if you could leave, the constable is searching your quarters right now." Julian patted her shoulder, "Not that we don't believe you, but it's standard procedure. We need to make sure you were exposed at Quark's and not by something in your quarters. We don't want Adona ingesting something potentially fatal, do we?"

"No," Cherinala agreed, her brow furrowed with worry. "Am I in trouble?"

"Not at all, my dear," Garak said smoothly. "We just need to go over your statement one more time. You said you drank some juice Rom gave you, did you put it down and walk away? Could anyone else besides you and Rom have handled it?"

"No," she said, trying to concentrate. "He handed me the glass and I drank it as quickly as I could. It was hot," she explained. "Today it was kind of crowded because the ships were delayed due to the extra security measures. Quark was saying that all the extra searches were helping his business because the supply crews were all in the bar waiting to be cleared to leave."

"That sounds like Quark," Julian muttered.

"Indeed," Garak agreed. "Did you eat or drink anything else before you entered the replimat?"

"No, nothing," the girl shook her head. "I skipped breakfast this morning because I was late getting Adona off to school." She paused, "Except..."

"Except what?" Garak asked, his attention focused on her.

"I ate a piece of hard candy, but that couldn't have had anything to do with me getting sick," she said.

"Where did you get the candy?" Julian asked, his eyes searching her face.

Cherinala looked from one man to the other, "That's just it, I got the candy from Craig. He left a small bag of it on the bar when he was doing his rounds, and I figured he wouldn't mind so I took a piece."

"His rounds?" Julian asked.

"Yeah, Odo has all his security officers doing extra rounds." She looked at Garak, "Craig works in security, that's why I know it couldn't have been the candy that was poisoned."


	3. Date Three: A Leisurely Walk Around The Station

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Date Three: A Leisurely Walk Around The Station  
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Garak locked up his shop and straightened the cuffs of his tunic, then brushed off the small bits of thread that clung to his clothes. Static electricity, he thought. For some reason, every time he wore this suit he wound up wearing half his discarded fabric odds and ends home. He liked the way the deep green fabric looked on him so he wore it anyway. The price of vanity, he reasoned.

"Garak!"

The tailor looked up to see Julian jog toward him and he suppressed the sense of giddy expectation that bubbled within him. Ye Gods man, he cursed inwardly, calm down. Acting like a hormonal twit over a man nearly twenty years your junior is hardly dignified. "Doctor," he greeted solemnly.

"Oh, I see," Julian slowed his pace and walked toward his friend, "We're back to using formalities again."

Garak cleared his throat, "Doctor, I-"

"It's okay, Garak, I'm not planning on jumping you in the middle of the Promenade," Julian grinned, throwing the Cardassian further off balance. "I just wanted to talk to you about what happened earlier."

Garak's mind immediately flew back to their near kiss and he flushed, "Well, it was probably just a momentary lapse of-"

"Not that," Julian interrupted him again, his smile almost triumphant as he realized he had again caused the normally unflappable tailor to fumble his response. "I meant the information Cherinala gave us about this security officer, Craig."

"Oh, of course," Garak nodded, clearing his throat and regaining his composure. "You didn't tell Odo what she said, did you?"

"No, but I don't know why you told me not to," Julian frowned. "If one of his security team is trafficking drugs on the station, he should know immediately."

"We don't know that he is, just that Cherinala ingested some candy he left behind. For all we know, she might have been mistaken and someone still could have spiked her drink," Garak said reasonably. "On the off chance it is this Craig, if we tell Odo our theory and other members of the security team are involved, it will tip them off." He took a breath, "No, Doctor, we need to make certain that Craig is at the center of this, and if he is, who his confederates are. This way when we do go to the constable, he can arrest them all at once. We don't want them destroying any evidence because we acted prematurely, do we?"

"That sounds reasonable," Julian agreed slowly. "So what do we do in the mean time?"

"We go for a walk," Garak said and gestured Julian to follow.

"Where are we walking to?" Julian asked, falling into step beside the Cardassian.

"I want to check this Craig person's security route," Garak said quietly. He clasped his hands behind his back and carefully surveyed the Promenade as they walked. It was a bit late, so the crowds had thinned out, still there were a good many people milling about. No one appeared to be watching the two, however, so Garak continued his slow steady pace, occasionally pausing to examine some window dressings in the neighboring shops.

"How do you know what his security route is?" Julian asked in a low voice.

"I read the security logs and found his notes," Garak answered easily.

"You hacked into Odo's computer files?" Julian gave him an incredulous look.

"Keep your voice down," Garak ordered, "and yes, of course I did. How else was I going to find out-by following him? I may be a skilled former agent, Doctor, but I'm also the only Cardassian on board this station and I think I would have been noticed. Besides, I had several fittings to attend to and I have to earn credits to eat and pay rent. Unlike you, Starfleet doesn't provide me with free room and board."

"Breaking into secured files is illegal," Julian whispered angrily. "If you had gotten caught, I would have been implicated as well!"

"Oh please," Garak waved him off, "It wouldn't have been the first time I've looked through some Starfleet log entries, and I assure you, I've never been caught."

Julian quickened his pace to keep up with the tailor, "Which files did you read?"

"Nothing of particularly strategic interest, I assure you," Garak answered, stifling a yawn. "I have a vested interest in the safety and security of this facility as well, or do I have to remind you that Gul Dukat has signed my death warrant twice already. No," he said, "I usually only look through some personal log entries and whatnot just to break up the monotony and keep my skills sharp."

"Whose files did you read? Mine?" Julian asked impatiently.

Garak turned to face his companion, his bored expression now transforming into a grin. At last, he again had the upper hand. "Why do you ask? Do you have something to hide, Julian?"

Garak's use of his name without having to be prompted first, threw Julian a bit, "Everyone has something they'd prefer to keep to themselves," he answered. "Those journal entries are private for a reason."

"Hardly," Garak continued to walk down the corridor. "Someone at Starfleet must go over the logs eventually or you wouldn't be required to keep them. No, if you truly wanted to keep a secret the last thing you'd do is make a record of it."

"Using that line of logic, what makes you think that if Craig the security officer is our drug kingpin, he'd make an accurate accounting of his security route to Odo?" Julian glared. Sometimes the tailor tempted him into losing control of his emotions, especially when he chose to be so patronizing.

"Because, under normal circumstances, Odo is a very thorough and suspicious man. Verifying his security teams daily routes is simple and if this Craig deviated from it in any way, it would send up a red flag. No," Garak surmised, "if the drugs are coming from him, the location of his source lies within his daily routine."

They rounded the corner and headed for the turbolifts. "So now where are we going?" Julian asked. He had to admit, Garak's theory made sense, not that he was about to confess it out loud.

"According to the records, Craig Wilkins, the only Craig I could find listed as being in the station's security detail," Garak added, "checks all the shops along this route every morning around the same time the Dabo girl ingested the illicit substance in Quark's bar. After finishing his route, he takes the turbolift down to the lower cargo decks and inspects all of the unloading areas between Section 24 Bravo and Section 17 Delta."

They entered the lift and Julian ordered the computer to take them down, "You realize this is going to take us several hours, right?"

"It will take quite some time," Garak agreed, "but not as long as it takes Officer Wilkins. After all, he has to check at least 12 shops including Quark's bar before heading down to the docks and we've already skipped all that. Now, we just have to figure out which area along this route would allot him the privacy and security he needs to either manufacture or procure his shipments."

"You think he makes it here, on the station?" Julian asked, turning to look at Garak.

"This was a refining facility; there are equipment and chemicals left around that one could convert into a drug lab." Garak shrugged, "In my experience, thieves and dealers, especially ones who have managed to escape capture for this long, are smart and resourceful. He's not making enough Orange to need a large space, so chances are his lab is probably the size of a broom closet at best. Didn't Cherinala say he left a bag of candy on the bar and walked away?"

"Yes, why?" Julian asked.

"It would be simple enough to manufacture the drug into some sort of lozenge then leave it on the bar for a buyer to pick up. The candy disguises the drugs and when the buyer wanted to use or test them, he'd crush them back into a powder and inhale. Quite ingenious, really," Garak explained.

"This is all supposition," Julian pointed out. The turbolift stopped and they entered another set of corridors. "Even if you're right, if he only needs a broom closet or less to manufacture the drugs, why couldn't it be in one of the shops we didn't search?"

"Two reasons; First, there is too much foot traffic in and out of the shops to manufacture something like that. I have a fairly large shop in comparison, and my back room is almost nonexistent. Most of the store owners use their back rooms as storage space, and people are always going back and forth."

"And the second reason?" Julian prompted.

"Well, I can't be sure, but Odo routinely bugs and puts surveillance cameras in all the shops. I know he does to mine and at least a few others he considers 'of interest'." Garak smirked. "With this rash of drug-related injury, everyone has now fallen under the subject of 'potential interest' to the constable."

The corridors were empty and their footsteps echoed hollowly, "Speaking of people of interest-" Julian stepped in front of Garak and stopped him by putting out his hand and laying it against his chest firmly, but gently. He stepped forward and before Garak had time to think, laid a quick, closed mouth kiss on the tailor's lips. "It seemed like a good time to get that out of the way." Julian said with a self-satisfied grin.

The Cardassian froze. "That's it?" Garak asked, with a frown.

"What do you mean, 'that's it'?" Julian asked, crestfallen.

"I mean, well frankly, I expected...more," Garak arched one eye-ridge, "Not that it wasn't nice, I suppose."

"Nice?" Julian repeated in a hollow tone. He drew himself up and glared, "Well, I didn't want to stick my tongue down your throat or grope you with no warning. I was going for something appropriate to the occasion."

"The occasion being that we're in the bowels of the station in the middle of the night searching for a drug lab?" Garak asked archly.

"No, the occasion of what technically could be considered our third date," Julian folded his arms across his chest.

"I think what humans consider courtship is vastly different than what Cardassians do," Garak muttered as he continued down the corridor, the Doctor following beside him.

"You would have preferred something more dramatic then?" Julian asked, his frustration becoming more than evident in his stiff posture.

"No, I mean it was fine for what it was. Honestly, Doctor, it was a perfectly acceptable display of affection. Really," Garak assured the younger man.

Without warning, Julian shoved the other man against the wall of the corridor and looked him in the eye, "My name," he said, relishing the look of utter shock in Garak's eyes, "is Julian."

Julian pressed his mouth against Garak's, softening his lips slightly after a moment and tickling the Cardassian's textured lips with his tongue. Garak gasped at the onslaught and the Doctor pressed the advantage, his tongue slipping between his friend's lips as he made sure this kiss would not be so easily dismissed.

One of Julian's long fingered hands cupped the back of Garak's head, and stroked the soft hairs at the back of his neck, while his other arm drew the Cardassian toward him. Garak moaned as Julian pressed his hard length against him, causing the Doctor to smile triumphantly against his lips. Julian playfully ground his hips against Garak and allowed the other man to feel how excited he was becoming. He allowed his lips to trail over the tailor's cheek then nibbled at the other man's earlobe, sliding his tongue under the ornate flesh and sucking gently before whispering, "Is this more to your liking , my dear tailor?" He teased.

"Who are you and what have you done with Julian Bashir?" Garak gasped, giving in to the folly of the moment and cupping his companions taut buttocks, drawing him close again as he returned the kiss.

Words abandoned them as the two men kissed one another in blissful abandon. Hot, wet mouths clung together as tongues danced in promise of the intimacy to come. Garak cupped Julian's cheek and pulled back, looking deep into the other man's dark eyes. "When did begin to lose my mind? What are you doing to me?" he asked, softly tasting his companion's soft lips.

"For all you know, I've been seducing you from the first day we met," Julian smiled, kissing Garak quickly before adding, "I assure you, I'm less innocent than I appear."

"Obviously," Garak gasped.

Julian chuckled and stepped back from Garak, watching in amusement as the man straightened his clothing and ran a shaky hand through his slightly mussed black hair. "I take it I made a better impression this time?" He stared pointedly at the man's obvious erection.

Garak hastily tugged his tunic down to hide the evidence of his arousal, "I don't know what has come over you, lately," he said, flushing with embarrassment. "We've known one another for years and you've never once-"

"You're just upset because for the first time since we've known each other, I'm not the one stumbling around in the dark looking for the answers," Julian answered smoothly. "If you'd just taken the hint and pushed me against a wall years ago, we wouldn't be here now."

"This-I-you-!" Garak stuttered, utterly undone and at a complete loss for words.

Julian felt a powerful surge of energy flow through his body as he observed the effect his coolly spoken words had on his companion. The student had surpassed the teacher, and he was enjoying this moment thoroughly. "Now, as much as I'd like to finish what I started," he looked Garak up and down and smiled a slow, hot grin, "I believe we have other things to attend to first."

Julian walked down the hall, pausing at a storage room and hitting the panel to open the door and then stuck his head in briefly. Satisfied that it was empty, he continued toward the next room and waved Garak on, "Aren't you coming?"

"I think I may very well learn to hate you, Julian Bashir," Garak said, shaking off his discomposure.

"Trust me, Garak, what you're feeling right now isn't hate," Julian said easily. "Why don't we look in some of the shuttlebay docks next?"

With no way to respond to that, Garak merely followed his companion, his frustration at his lack of control simmering at a slow burn. In this game of cat and mouse, Garak had the sneaking suspicion that he was not the one currently occupying the role of the cat.

They searched for two more hours, Julian calm and collected, acting as though nothing had happened, and Garak, desperately trying to forget. They kept their conversation to the minimum and Garak kept close tabs on Julian's physical proximity. The Cardassian felt very confused by what had happened. Everything he thought he knew about Julian had changed. He always thought the younger man had never so much as entertained the idea of climbing into his bed, and now he felt as though he were being pursued relentlessly by the human. It was getting more and more difficult to keep his mind on their task. He kept imagining what it would be like to stroke Julian's naked brown flesh and kiss his way down to his-

"Did you hear what I said?" Julian asked, staring at him with a bemused expression on his face.

Garak stopped and stared at him. "I…honestly? No. What did you say, again?"

Julian stuck his hands in his uniform pockets and grinned knowingly, "I said we've been at this for two and a half hours and haven't found a thing. Maybe we should try searching again some other time."

"You're probably right," Garak agreed, eager to head back to the security of his own quarters. He looked around the large shuttlebay which would be filled with work crews loading and unloading supplies in just a few more hours. "It is late and I'm getting tired, so maybe it would be best to head back. We'll finish this again another day."

"I was thinking that maybe you could join me in my quarters for a drink," Julian said, approaching the Cardassian slowly.

"I don't think that's...a good idea," Garak swallowed, watching Julian's face as the Doctor eyed him hungrily.

"Why not?" Julian asked, stopping within a few feet of the tailor. "It's just a drink. We could go to your quarters if you prefer," he offered.

Garak blinked, "Either I'm becoming more human or you're becoming more Cardassian. Doc-Julian," he corrected himself quickly, then shut his eyes and took a breath. "I'm old enough to be your father, you do realize that?"

"More like a much older brother," Julian stepped closer and breathed in the other man's spicy cologne. "Although, I confess I'm not feeling very familial at the moment."

Garak held up a hand in warning and stepped back, "I'm far too old for this sort of game you're playing, Julian. Once upon a time I would have happily welcomed you into my bed, but my position aboard this station is tenuous at best. Think about the implications our involvement would have on both of our lives. Do you think Starfleet would be happy to see one of their best and brightest shacked up with an old man who happened to have once been an Obsidian Agent? It's difficult to keep secrets like that from people, especially on a space station. One night together and Quark would have a betting pool on what will come first: your court-martial or my deportation hearing."

"You're over-thinking the situation," Julian frowned.

"And you aren't thinking at all," Garak rejoined. "I'm too old for you and I'm an inappropriate companion for dozens of other reasons, not least of which is the fact that I'm a Cardassian, and I'm a man."

"So? You're a man, so am I. What's your point?" Julian asked, stepping closer to Garak again.

Garak held his ground, "How many openly homosexual officers are there on this station? A handful at best? Do you think it's a coincidence that only ten or so of them are human? Your military culture, for all of its high ideals, isn't terribly fond of the idea of same-sex couples serving aboard a military installation."

"Just because you don't often see it on this particular station doesn't mean it can't happen," Julian said. "I know of a few Starfleet captains who are involved with or married to members of the same sex. Their careers have progressed and they haven't encountered any more problems with their service than any straight couple I know of. The military has welcomed openly gay, lesbian, and bisexual members into service since the early 21st century. If you're worried that your ethnicity is a problem, I personally think Starfleet would welcome the opportunity to show that Cardassians and humans are capable of getting along with one another." He smiled and leaned toward Garak playfully, "We are getting along, wouldn't you agree?"

"This is a mistake. You're being horribly naive," Garak said weakly as Julian dropped a soft kiss on his lips.

"I'm not asking for a commitment," Julian murmured, stepping closer. "I'd settle for just a good roll in the hay."

Julian again reached for the Cardassian, pulling his head toward him as he explored his mouth. His hand rested against the thick ridges of Garak's neck and he could feel the Cardassian's pulse speed up under his fingertips. "Garak..." he breathed against the other man's lips, "would you please accompany me to my quarters, or do I have to take you here and risk having to explain to Chief O'Brien why first shift got a free show?"

"You leave me with so little choice. Julian..." Garak groaned as Julian shifted his attentions by nibbling and sucking on his neck and throat. "How did you become such a skilled manipulator?"

"Years of observation and practice," Julian kissed Garak hard on the mouth and wrapped his long, lanky arms about him, pulling him close.

After their lips parted, Garak buried himself in Julian's throat, nibbling at the curve of his neck and shivering as the light scrape of his five o'clock shadow stimulated the sensitive skin of his cheeks. "I surrender," he said, his voice hoarse with need. "Whatever you want, it's yours."

"Can I call you Elim?" Julian chuckled, planting a soft kiss on the Cardassian's mouth.

"You can call me whatever-is someone coming?" Garak went still.

"Me, in another ten minutes or so I hope," Julian whispered.

"No, I'm serious," Garak's focus sharpened as he heard the soft echo of footsteps coming toward them.

Julian glanced toward the sounds. His eyes swept the immediate area and he tugged at the tailor's arm insistently, "Behind those crates, follow me," he said quietly.

The two men quickly settled themselves behind some large boxes and peered through the gaps between the containers. A tall redheaded man wearing a Starfleet security uniform and holding a duffle-bag looked around the loading dock carefully before pulling a small communication device out of his pocket. "They're running a diagnostic on the communications relay up in ops so we have less than twenty minutes to do this."

//Can we risk transporting in?// Came the disembodied reply.

"Use the frequency I gave you earlier and keep shifting your distortion field so they can't pick up on your shuttle's cloak," the human ordered.

Julian touched Garak's arm and mouthed, "Craig Wilkins?" to which Garak silently nodded. He recognized the man from his personnel file.

There was a shimmer of light in front of Wilkins and then a dark haired Bajoran man with a large facial scar appeared. "Where's the product?"

"Here," he said, handing him the bag.

"That's all of it? What am I supposed to do with this much Orange? The only reason I agreed to meet you here was because you assured me we were going to do some serious business," the Bajoran spat out angrily.

"That's all I have!" Wilkins insisted tossing the bag toward the Bajoran's feet. "Odo has been-"

The scar on the Bajoran's face was white with rage as he grabbed Wilkins by his hair and tucked a phaser under his chin, "I don't give a shit about Odo or about your problems. It's bad enough you left the sample at the bar for some slut to take and now I have more heat on me than ever. You said you were going to give me everything you had left so we could set up a new lab off the station."

"Odo found some of my stashes and I couldn't afford to make more," Wilkins swallowed. "He's on to me! I know it! I need you to get me off the station. I have the formula in the bag with the rest of the stuff-it's worth a fortune to you! All I want is 100 bars of gold pressed latinum and safe passage to the Orion sector, that's it Ranol, I swear! I'm not trying to screw you!"

"What about the man you had cooking the drugs?" Ranol asked.

"Odo arrested him a few hours ago when he tried to sneak back onto his ship. It's only a matter of time before he cuts a deal and gives me up-you have to help me, please!" Wilkins pleaded.

"Humans," Ranol spat out, utterly disgusted. "You people make deals with Cardies and sell poison to your own people then presume to tell us how to live. I'm trying to build another army and all you want to discuss is how much latinum you can squeeze out of me. I ought to kill you and save Starfleet the trouble of a trial!"

"You need me! I can make as much as you want, I swear! Just take me to your base and I'll have an even bigger lab up and running in a matter of days!" Sweat dripped off of the human's face as he looked up, pleading desperately, the phaser digging into his throat.

Ranol considered his offer carefully, "Fifty bars," he said, "twenty-five when we set up and the rest after the lab is up and running and the sample tests pure. If you want safe passage to the Orion sector, you'll settle for forty bars or agree to remain at the base until we have at least twenty times more product than what's in the bag."

"Absolutely, yeah," Wilkins agreed and Ranol released him. He stood shakily, "You have the latinum, right?"

"Don't worry about that," Ranol said. "If what you say is true, the syndicate I'm working with has contacts all over the Alpha quadrant ready to invest. If you can't do what you say you can, the last thing you'll be worrying about is your money."

"We have to get out of here, as soon as that diagnostic check is done, they'll be scanning all of the lower pylons. Won't need that anymore." Wilkins took off his communicator and tossed it toward the crates where Garak and Julian were hiding. "I can't wait to get back to the real world."

Ranol's eyes followed the silver and gold badge as it hit the boxes and caught a glimpse of Julian's eye through the gap, "Put your hands up and step into the light," he ordered, leveling his phaser toward them.

Julian froze and gave Garak a steady look before holding his hands above his head and walking into the open. "I'm unarmed," he said quietly.

"Who is this and what is he doing here?" Ranol asked Wilkins coldly, "Is this a set-up?"

"No...no!" Craig looked at Julian in surprise, "That's Dr. Bashir-he's the station's medical officer," he turned from one man to the other, "I have no idea why he's down here, honest."

"I was just taking a walk," Julian said. "I happened on your meeting and hid behind those boxes. I'm alone and unarmed, I assure you."

"This could actually work in our favor," Ranol grinned slowly. "I could use a Doctor on my team, and if I can't find a use for you there are a lot of worlds outside of the Federation who would pay good money for a man with your skills."

"I'm a Doctor, not a dope pusher! I won't work for a criminal scumbag like you," Julian's expression darkened. "And you, you were an officer," He glared at Wilkins, "You disgust me."

"What did Starfleet ever do for me, except drop me on a rusty tin bicycle wheel in the middle of a bunch of spoon heads and shit sniffing Jori's!" His eyes shifted toward Ranol, "No offense."

"I've heard worse," Ranol said then punched Wilkins with the phaser hard, sending him reeling toward the floor, "but call me that again and you better have a weapon in your hand."

Wilkins spit out a tooth and some blood and slowly got back on his feet. Ranol then turned his dangerous gaze toward Julian, "I'm not a drug pusher, Doctor. I'm a freedom fighter, and the only reason I'm here is because this is the fastest way to make enough money to build my army. You Federation bastards came into our space after we beat back the Cardies and now you want to take everything we fought for away from us. You talk about making us one of your allies while you lord over us in *our* space station built on Bajoran blood and your human captain pretends to talk to our prophets. You might have the vedeks and the peasants convinced, but I'm not buying it."

"So you use that to justify selling narcotics to your own people?" Julian asked.

"I only sell to people willing to buy," Ranol answered grimly. "If they kill themselves by sniffing Orange D just to get high, so much the better. It just means that we're culling out the weak and useless and leaving more room for those willing to fight for our world."

"You're insane," Julian spat out.

"I'm pragmatic," he corrected. "It's just business, Doctor."

"We have to go now," Wilkins said, rubbing his jaw.

As Ranol was questioning Julian, Garak had slowly slipped behind a group of crates and maneuvered himself so that he was nearly behind them. Looking around for a weapon, he noticed that the operator's remote access control on the forklift was unlocked. Lifting the controller from the vehicle, he carefully flipped on the power and waited.

Ranol held the phaser out and gestured for Bashir to step forward. "Remove his communicator, slowly." Wilkins stepped toward Julian and Garak hit the controller causing the forklift to roll forward slamming into Wilkins. Wilkins flew through the air and Ranol swung around to see what was happening.

Garak threw the controller at Ranol's hand, knocking the phaser out of his grip and sending it sliding across the floor. He body-checked the Bajoran and they both tumbled to the ground.

Ranol roared with anger and started cursing and punching Garak, while the tailor in turn, held his arm tight across the man's throat, trying to subdue him.

Craig Wilkins lay still and bleeding. If he wasn't dead, he was most certainly gravely injured. Julian didn't care either way. He scrambled for the phaser and trained it on Ranol, "Stop!" He ordered.

Ranol stopped struggling and stared up at the Doctor. Garak arose from the floor, wiping some blood off his mouth as he rejoined his companion. "Are you all right?" Julian asked.

"I'm going to have some bruises in the morning, but I'll be fine," Garak replied grimly.

"Fucking human traitor!" Ranol shouted. "I knew you people were in bed with the Cardies!"

"I'm working on that one, actually," Julian responded evenly.

"Do you really think this is the most appropriate moment for humor?" Garak asked, moving so that he was standing at Julian's side.

"It felt like it at the time, yes," Julian smiled, his eyes never leaving Ronal's face.

Julian slapped his comm badge, "Bashir to Odo!"

//Yes, Doctor?// Odo answered.

"We have a situation at one of the loading pylons. I need you to beam a security team to my location to make an arrest. I also have a cloaked ship on standby near this location. You need to put a tractor beam on the ship before it pulls away."

//Understood, Odo out!//

There was a loud screeching sound outside of the shuttle bay doors and a panicked voice could be heard over Ranol's communicator, //Sir! They have a lock on us, we can't get away!//

"Perverts!" Ronal spat. "You and that Cardie animal! I hope he slits your throat after he uses you then tosses your corpse to his riding hounds!"

"Looks like you'll be staying for breakfast," Garak smiled humorlessly at the Bajoran just as Odo and several security guards materialized between them.

"I know you," Odo said, slapping the restraints on Ranol's wrists. "I think the Bajoran High Council would like to have a few words with you, Colonel Ranol. It appears we've caught Bajor's public enemy number one, wanted for high crimes and treason including an assassination attempt on one of the Cabinet Ministers. Take him to a holding cell and contact Major Kira. I'm sure she'll have a few questions for him."

"Aye sir!" The guard said as he forced Ronal to his feet.

"Sir! It's Wilkins, he's dead!" One of the security officers said as he knelt down by the young man's body.

"He was your source of the Orange D," Julian said. "There's more in the bag over there."

"We know. We found the lab earlier today and his partner confessed. We were about to arrest him when I got your comm," Odo looked at them both. "What exactly were you two doing down here, anyway?"

"Taking a walk?" Garak said with a sore smile as he rubbed his jaw.

Odo glared at Garak. "Taking a walk? In the middle of the night? Let's see, so you're telling me that you and the Doctor just happened to go for a leisurely stroll, stumbled in on a drug transaction, killed Wilkins with a forklift, and captured a terrorist?"

"Well, to be honest we only planned on taking a walk," Garak said evenly, "The murder in self-defense and the capturing of a drug lord was just something we did, spur of the moment." Garak looked at Julian, "It was the Doctor's idea, I just wanted some ice cream and a little fresh air."

Odo nearly growled in frustration, "Why aren't I buying your story, Garak? Usually you're a much more convincing liar."

"I should take Garak upstairs and see to his injuries," Julian suggested, changing the subject.

Odo turned a suspicious eye toward the Doctor, "I'll need to speak to you both in the morning after you've gotten some rest." He watched as his men led Ranol away. "Meanwhile, I have a busy night ahead of me." Odo motioned his remaining officers who had Wilkins body on a stretcher to follow him, then stalked off toward the turbolifts leaving Julian and Garak to themselves.

"I can't wait to crawl into my bed," Garak said wearily, watching as Odo disappeared behind the turbolift doors .

"Neither can I," Julian grinned and winked at Garak who flinched and tasted the split on his lip with his tongue.

"Please don't make me laugh," Garak begged. "Apparently, I don't take punches as well as I used to."

"Come on," Julian said, putting his arm around Garak's waist and pulling him toward the lifts. "Let me get a dermal regenerator on you and then I'll be happy to tuck you in."

Garak half moaned, half laughed, "You're going to kill me."

"I realize you have great expectations, Garak," Julian kissed him gently, avoiding further injury to Garak's swollen lip, "but even on my best day, I'm afraid I can't fuck someone to death...but I can try."

"Did I mention I was too old for you?" Garak asked, feigning reluctance as he allowed himself to be herded gently into the turbolift.

"Luckily for you, I'm a Doctor," Julian smiled at him just as the doors began to shut. "I promise I'll be gentle."

\---

The End

First official story in The Garak/Bashir Mysteries

Next story is Sinless; A Garak/Bashir Mystery


End file.
